The invention relates generally to infant equipment and, more particularly, to infant beds for coupling to an adult bed.
It is well known that there are advantages to having a newborn sleep in proximity to its mother. For example, when the infant is close by, a mother can easily nurse the infant as well as take care of other needs. Close proximity is also a significant benefit for mothers who have undergone a Cesarean section. In addition, research has shown that newborns rely on proximity to their mothers to regulate body heat, breathing, and cardiac rhythms.
While there have been attempts to provide proximity and convenience to a mother and her infant, known devices, such as bassinets, do not provide the level of closeness that is desirable for many new mothers. Further, conventional devices that attach to a bed can be cumbersome and render it difficult for a mother to get on and off the bed.
It would therefore, be desirable to provide an infant bed that is slidably engageable to a bed frame for allowing an adult to be close to an infant to easily get on and off the adult bed.
The present invention provides an infant bed that is positionable alongside an adult bed to which the infant bed is secured. Although the invention is primarily shown and described with reference to a hospital-type bed, it is understood that the infant bed scan be coupled to a variety of beds having a frame that can support the infant bed alongside thereof.
In one aspect of the invention, an infant bed has a top portion and a bottom portion, which can be secured to an adult bed frame. Barriers upwardly extend from the top portion to form an interior region for confining an infant. A coupling mechanism, such as mounting rods extending from the bottom portion of the infant bed, secures the infant bed to the adult bed. In one embodiment, the mounting rods are received by corresponding structural members rigidly extending from the frame of the adult bed. The infant bed further includes a slidable bracket mechanism coupled to the bottom portion of the infant bed for allowing the infant bed to be moved along a length of the adult bed.
In a further aspect of the invention, a method for maintaining proximity between an infant and an adult includes placing a baby into an infant bed that is movable alongside a length of an adult bed. The infant bed is movable between first and second positions that provide closeness to the infant and facilitate egress from the adult/infant bed assembly. In one embodiment, a coupling mechanism secures a bottom portion of the infant bed to the adult bed and a slidable bracket mechanism enables longitudinal movement of the infant bed with respect to the adult bed.